385 



PAPERS READ. 



ON THE SUPPOSED NEW ZEALAND SPECIES OF 

 LEPTOPOMA. 



By O. F. von Moellbndorff, Ph.D. 



(Communicated by C. Hedley.) 



Mr. H. Suter sent me a few examples of the so-called Lepto2)oma 

 species of New Zealand, expressing some doubts on the systematic 

 position hitherto assigned to them, and asking my opinion on the 

 subject, as he himself was in want of the necessary literature and 

 specimens for comparison, whilst he supposed that I, living in the 

 centre of distribution of the Cyclophoridce, viz., Eastern Asia, 

 should have more experience in the study of operculate pulmonata. 

 Mr. Suter points out the evident relation of these shells with 

 Cyclophorus cytora, Gray, and ])roposes they should form, together 

 with that species, a separate subgenus of Cyclophorus. 



The study of the rather scant material before me and the 

 comparison of the numerous small cyclophoroid forms of Eastern 

 Asia and Indonesia have led me to the conclusion that the New 

 Zealand species in question belong to Lagochilus, Blfd. The 

 operculum is certainly that of Cyclophorus, Lagochilus or Lepto- 

 poma, there existing but minute differences in this respect between 

 the three genera. Likewise the dentition and the outer aspect of 

 the animal as described by Prof. Hutton correspond perfectly with 

 that of the subfamily of Cyclophorince. The conical shape, the 

 small size, the thin but opaque and scarcely transparent shell, its 

 more or less dark colour, the peculiar structure of the cuticula, 

 forming thin, deciduous ribs occasionally produced into mem- 

 branaceous processes or fimhrioi, the angle formed by the upper 

 margin of the peristome at its insertion, all decidedly point to 



